Domesticity
by quingay
Summary: Will needed help, what he didn't know was he would be getting it from his doctor.
1. Paralytic Walker

_I swallowed a knife  
I hold it in.  
And every single time I breathe,  
I cut a bit of me.  
And it leaves my heart open._

- _Stephanie Dosen_

* * *

_Fire engulfed the building. Flames of different reds and oranges flicked their tendrils at the grey sky above. The world was burning around him, determined that he goes down with it. Their was distant barking, seemingly next to him but also miles away. The glass windows shattered behind him, flying in all directions and piercing Will in the arm. Blinking dully, he pulled it out with a loud sucking sound. The blood mesmerized him more than it should; entranced at the way it dripped and pooled around his bare legs and toes._

* * *

Will woke with a start, sweat drenching his bed. Blinking himself to reality, he heard the same barking outside the door. The clock on his bed side table said it was 3:18 in the morning.

With a grunt, he peeled the blankets off his wet body and flipped his legs off the side.

Something was wrong.

The little hairs on Will's neck and arms stood on end, sensing something off with his environment. A loud crack in the back of the house gave him his answers. Will puffed his cheeks out before hurriedly pulling the closest pants on, grabbing the first shirt abandoned on the wood floor. Forgetting his shoes, but thankfully having socks on still, he nearly broke the door down to get to his pack.

"Winston!" Will called out, shielding his eyes from the smoke. A whimper in the opposite corner of the room told him where his ex-strays were.

Dog whistling them over, he patted their eyes and backs as signs of comfort and trust.

Rubbing his sore eyes with the heels of his hands, he led his herd out the back door, still unscathed.

Letting them rest on a hill across the street, Will watched the fire department zoom by in a daze. Blinking, but not being able to come back to earth, he walked away with Winston and "everybody" trailing close behind. They were faithful; he did save them from dying on the streets.

Minutes, hours, days could have passed before his sanity came back to him.

Will found himself in front of Hannibal's house without having to think too hard about it. Sudden shyness came through him. He couldn't just... Walk in unannounced?

But Mr. Lecter has said before he was welcome to come back when he wanted. Maybe he could convince him that he came for a late night session.

As Will was raising his fist to rap against the door, Hannibal beat him by opening the door first.

"William?" Hannibal rose a delicate eyebrow, stepping back go let more light wash over the front steps. "What are you doing here?"

Winston pushed past Will and over the threshold, nuzzling against Hannibal's leg.

Now that Will got a good look at him, he realized Hannibal wasn't in his usual three-piece suit. Instead, he had a simple white t-shirt and black pajama pants. Even his hair was mussed up, instead of slicked back and proper. And, well, he looked damn good.

A faint blush crept across Will's cheeks, covered partly by the darkness behind him. Hannibal was no fool; he immediately picked up on this fact.

Deciding not to embarrass him further, Hannibal gestured with his hand to come in.

"You can leave your pets in the other room. Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Hannibal offered like the polite host he was.

Will scratched at his head, taking the bottle of aspirin from his pocket in habit. "Water, please?" Will croaked out while rubbing at his sore throat, following Hannibal to the kitchen.

Hannibal handed Will a mug of cold water from the fridge, taking a seat across from Will and just watching him. Will got the fleeting thought that was how serial killers looked at their pray before attacking.

Inhaling deeply from his diaphragm, Will took back just a few pills to kill his pain. He was so addicted, he knew, but he didn't care.

"Care to explain why you are here?"

Will broke out from his stupor, glancing under the glass.

"The house was on fire." He whispered, swishing the ice around.

Hannibal nodded, dropping the matter. "Please, make yourself at home."

Hannibal rose from his seat, placing a hand on Will's shoulder as he went. "The guest room is in that hall over there." William saw him point to the right from the corner of his eye.

Waiting until he walked away, he placed the dirty cup in the sink and went to look for his dogs.

"Winston?" William called into the dark. He felt a pair of ears brush against his leg, soft panting air after the movements. "Winston." Will confirmed.

Following blindly along the wall for the light switch, he had to walk the side before finally finding it. Light flooded the room, revealing tidy furniture and his dogs huddled on the first couch they saw.

"Come on, bed."

Holding his hand in front of him, Will groped along the sides of the hall for any doors.

Finally, his hand bumped into the brass foot handle. Creaking it open, he flicked the light switch to life and released a large, clean space. The bed looked to be a queen size; luckily he could fit some of his smaller dogs with him and still fit himself. The walls were a warm earthly color, seeming to match the paint in the kitchen. The floor was covered with bamboo flooring; making Will feel a bit uncomfortable.

_'Oh well, just have to deal.'_ Will thought to himself.

Stripping himself to boxers and a t-shirt again, he crawled into the bed and under the silk sheets. They wrapped around him like a cocoon, making him feel both safe and uneasy. The bed seemed to mold to his shape, even the pillow adjusted to his weight.

Sighing, he brought the covers over his face and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to get some form of sleep.

William shot up about an hour later, shaking and sweating.

He knew he didn't have work that day, so maybe he could try sleeping later.

As for now, he was mentally shaken and depressed. The nightmare about the burning house came back, except this time more vivid and real.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he knew he had no other choice.

Sneaking out of his bedroom, he made his way to Hannibal's bedroom by memory. Some light poured in from the windows, making his walking easier.

It didn't take long for Will to find Hannibal's door.

_'What are you doing? He'll kick you out!'_ Shaking his head physically, he decided to take the risk.

The door opened with a soft groan of protest, making Will flinch in fear.

Luckily, Hannibal was still asleep, blankets draped across his body like a painting.

Will bit his lip, deciding it was now or never. Creeping to the edge of the bed, Will lifted the edge of the blankets and scooted in.

Those movements seemed to have woken up Hannibal, as he quickly turned around with shocked, wide eyes.

"Will?" Hannibal called out calmly, not wanting to scare away his patient. "May I help you?"

Will turned beet red, not wanting to face Hannibal. His tongue suddenly felt like lead, unable to speak.

"Nightmare?"

Will nodded, shutting his eyes close.

Hannibal sighed, wrapping a protective arm around Will's waist and dragging him close to his chest. "Goodnight." Hannibal kissed Will's temple, then quickly dozed off again.

Will felt awkward at first, unused to this kind of physical contact from Hannibal- well, anyone really. Eventually, the warmth radiating off Hannibal's body got him to loosen up.

Rolling onto his left side, Will inched closer to Hannibal and inhaled his bed scent. His eyes fluttered close, exhaust washing over him. Something about the gentle side to Hannibal was comforting. It should be creepy, weird, even unwanted and he should have pushed him away and walked back to his bed. But... He couldn't. Years of bad sleep seemed to have caught up to him, weighing him down.

He fell asleep in Hannibal's arms, not waking up for hours.

And it was the best sleep he'd gotten in months.


	2. Fire and Ice

_I'll see you again, you'll pretend you're naïve, is this what you want_

_Is this what you need, how you end up let me know._

_As I go, remember all the simple things you know,_

_My mind is just a crutch and I still hope, that you will miss me when_

_I'm gone_

_- All American Rejects_

* * *

Will woke up on Hannibal's chest, with Hannibal's arms still wrapped loosely around Will's waist. Squirming and turning red, Will was trapped as long as Hannibal stayed asleep.

"Have you awakened so soon?" Hannibal whispered, slurred by sleep and his eyes still shut. Smiling, he opened them slowly to face the man atop him.

Letting go of his grip, Will rolled off and covered himself with a blanket.

"I- Uh- I. I'm sorry. For, you know." Will was never one to get his point across clearly, and this situation didn't help in the slightest.

"No worries; I was just being a gracious.. Friend." Hannibal tested the word. It tasted odd in his mouth, and he was sure Will thought the same.

Will turned even darker, if that were possible, and hid his face beneath his pillow. "Should we get up?" He mumbled, refusing to show himself. Will could feel his cheeks and ear tips on fire.

Hannibal leaned over to kiss Will's shoulder blade, before stepping over him and grabbing clean clothes. "I'll see you soon."

Hannibal walked away to the adjoining bathroom, to clean himself off and wake up fully.

Will's heart was beating rapidly in his chest, in both disbelief and some sort of guilt. Hannibal was his psychiatrist, for crying out loud! He was sure this trespassed some kind of regulation.

He heard the shower turn on and a stream of water hit a body. Will realized how much he had to urinate suddenly, and decided to squirm around.

Minutes passed before Will gave up and ran into the bathroom with Hannibal.

"Don't come out!"

Hannibal chuckled, already knowing what was going on from his smelling instincts.

Will relieved himself with a sigh, as Hannibal turned the water off and stepped out with a towel around his waist.

Not looking at him for his privacy and out of respect, Hannibal stepped around Will and grabbed his clothes from the sink top, deciding to change in his bedroom.

Will flushed red in embarrassment as he zipped his pants back up.

Preparing himself mentally to step back out, he was sure he could never face him again. But he had to; he had dogs to care for. They were like his children and only family.

Taking an aspirin, he decided it was now or never.

* * *

Hannibal was out in the kitchen preparing breakfast for Will. "Berries or no berries?"

"Berries."

Hannibal nodded, scooping some from a bowl and sprinkling them over Will's plate of cereal. Bringing it back to the table, Hannibal set it across from a disheveled Will. "Bon appetite." Hannibal said with a smirk in his voice.

Will nodded his head, still tired and worn down. Grabbing the spoon between his fingers, he stared at his food for what seemed like hours. 'What's wrong with you today?' William scolded himself, dropping the spoon back into the bowl, unable to open his mouth.

Rubbing at his tired face, Hannibal sat across from Will and psycho analyzed him.

Will realized this halfway through his fit, and quickly got up to leave. "Stop analyzing me or I'm leaving!" Will practically yelled.

"And where do you expect to go with all those dogs?"

Will deflated at those words. Hannibal was right, no one would be willing to take him and the pack until he could get on his own two feet again.

Sighing, Will made his way to where the dogs were and looked for Winston. Finally, he located him in the corner sleeping. Flopping on to the couch, his pets crowded around him and lapped at his outstretched hand.

Now that Will thought about it, why did Hannibal let him in?

Will felt himself dozing off again, but he needed answers first.

"Hannibal!" He tried yelling, which came out to be more of a squawk.

That was enough though, as Hannibal came in with an apron around his waist. "May I help you?"

Will erected his back to the couch armrest and stared at Hannibal fuzzed fuzzy eyesight. "Why did you let me in last night?"

Hannibal took a deep breath, already prepared for the on slaughter of questions. "Because you needed someone, simply. You came to me for help and I answered that plea."

Will nodded, about to speak when he heard a crash behind him. Freezing up, he was almost afraid to turn. Gulping, he glanced at Hannibal's face first and nearly cried. Hannibal's face read nothing but his eyes were saying that he was pissed.

_'Oh god. Oh god.'_

Facing behind him slowly, he felt woozy seeing the mess. Winston had woken up and in a fit of excitement from seeing Will had knocked over an expensive looking vase. Probably valuable in the family from the look of it.

Winston seemed unfazed, his eyes big, tail wagging and barking as if he hadn't seen William in years.

Will decided if Hannibal were to kick him out now, he would try getting Alana's help. Biting his lip, he went against his gut instincts and mentally prepared himself for Hannibal's wrath.

Instead, Hannibal simply picked up the bigger of the broken pieces and set them on the table. "Remind me to clean these later."

Will blinked, surprised by his sudden mood change.

Hannibal went back into the kitchen to continue cooking.

* * *

Three hours later, one in the afternoon, and there seemed to be no disturbance up to this point anymore. Good for both William and Hannibal.

Will was sitting outside with his dogs so they could get fresh air, hat pulled down his ears and nose rosy red.

Hannibal was in the kitchen preparing a late lunch. Will wasn't sure what he was making, but he was so hungry he would resort to eating people now.

One of his dogs, Roger, barked and scampered off, getting too close to the road.

Grunting, Will stood up with his bones creaking from sitting in the same place for too long and chased after Roger.

He tripped on a rock before he could make it, or at least that's what it had felt like before.

When Will turned to see what had tripped him, he was face to face with a mutilated body. Gasping, he let out a strangled cry and scrambled backwards, limbs flopping in a lousy escape.

The dead body's eyes stared at Will, unforgiving and as if saying "This is your fault."

Then he looked closer and saw it. There was a slash mark on the neck and it had Abigail's face. Looking down at his hands, he discovered them to be covered in fresh blood, the iron tint invading his nostrils.

Gagging on the smell, Will shot up and nearly fell over from how fast he was moving himself away. He could hear the body behind him crying in anguish, but it was dead. No, alive. Dead? Hell.

Will crashed into the middle of the street with Roger licking at his icy fingertips. There seemed to be no cars, thank goodness.

"Come on, boy." Patting the dog behind the ears, he made his way slowly back and caught a flicker in the corner of his eye.

A shade seemed to have been moved since the incident in Hannibal's house. Most likely Hannibal making sure he was okay or something, Will thought to himself.

Sighing, he whistled and led them all back into their shared bedroom. "I'll be back." Will promised, already closing the door as he said that.

He decided to see if Hannibal needed help, and if not, he would sit around and watch him.

Will didn't get the chance to knock on the wall of the kitchen before Hannibal gestured for him to come forward. "It's almost finished. You can sit over there, if you like. Wine or water?"

After what just happened, Will went with the obvious answer. "Wine."

Hannibal nodded, opening the fridge and grabbing two cups. Pouring them both a drink, he toasted it to Will and took a swig.

Will leaned over the countertop, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was cooking. It smelled like pasta and steak. Will was in desperate need of a home cooked meal that wasn't microwaved or pre-made.

The scent made his mouth water and his stomach grumble loudly. Flushing, he turned away and took a sip of his drink. It was rich in texture, smooth enough to get back but not bitter enough to choke him. It tasted like a cross between berries and something else. Something sweet and sour at the same time. Even the smell of it was ravishing.

He took that time to sit down and wait for Hannibal, swishing the drink around the cup and watching it nearly spill over but stay safely inside.

Finally, the food was served and Will had to restraint from shoving it into his mouth with his hands. Hannibal caught on, even going as far as smiling at poor William.

Crossing his leg, Hannibal delicately cut his food and chewed almost silently. It was unnerving for William.

Finally, Will couldn't handle the silence and decided to go somewhere else. "Can I be excused?"

Hannibal nodded, pushing his chair back to go with his guest. Will frowned, about to reject him when Hannibal simply walked away, not leaving him any other choice.

Will washed his empty plate with Hannibal hovering behind him. He could feel warm air on his neck, and it pissed him off.

It got too much at one point, and he turned to face Hannibal and yell at him. Instead, Hannibal pressed him back against the sink, thighs touching the other.

Will felt his heart rate increase, the blood pooling to a place he would rather it not be. Hannibal noticed, because all he did was smirk and walk away unscathed.

Will was infuriated, and didn't know what to do. The stress of seeing Abigail die by his hands tagged with this was too much for him.

Following after Hannibal blindly, he grabbed his forearm and pushed him against the wall. Scowling, he crushed his lips against Hannibal's in a heated anger.

Instead of reacting, Hannibal simply pushed him off gently and proceeded to walk where he was going before.

Will bit his lip, holding in tears. He walked around the house for a bit like a zombie before finding himself in the local woods. It was peaceful. He could lie down here. Maybe he would.

Will found a large tree that provided enough shade and laid down. He would most likely have nightmares, but that was fine with him. Closing his eyes, he let the smells and sounds of the trees wash over him.


End file.
